As shipping honours women, data shows women less inclined to work in maritime

IMO’s response to the drop in numbers of women working in maritime

While IMO secretary general Arsenio Dominguez sought to add a note of positivity at an IMO symposium to highlight International Day for Women in Maritime with a reminder that the day is designed to "celebrate inclusion, innovation and equality in the maritime sector," he also did not avoid a sobering assessment of where the sector stands in regard to its ability to appeal to women workers.

On the metrics and the results of the survey, the secretary general said, "The reality is they are worrying for me, and I hope that they are for you as well because the trend says that in some areas we are stagnating and in others we are reversing".

"Let’s not make excuses," Mr Dominguez said. "The imbalance persists. In many subsectors of the maritime industry, the female pillar has stagnated or declined." 

Secretary general Dominguez said the survey "must serve as a wake-up call that awareness is not enough".

"We need real structural change, we need leadership, we need examples, we need accountability," he said, and "we need investment, because these things are not for free. Because otherwise what we are really risking is not closing the gap but widening it."

Mr Dominguez said that, despite the picture presented from the survey results, "we cannot back down. We need to continue."

Saying that IMO would work more closely with WISTA, Mr Dominguez said the organisation would seek to "dedicate ourselves to ... equality for women in the maritime sector" and to use the "tools or the mechanisms we have to make more progress".

Difficulties at sea and the ’crewing crisis’

Panel discussions at the event focused on highlighting voices of women who work or have worked at sea or for seafaring organisations. The discussions brought up themes of bullying and harassment, mental health challenges and in particular the challenge posed by the Covid-19 pandemic. 

"The issues that affect people or stop them from wanting to continue at sea are the same for men and women," said president of the Australasian Marine Pilots Institute Captain Josephine Clark.

Captain Clark noted the impact of a lack of shore leave – particularly during the Covid pandemic – as well as lack of access to internet connectivity as particular barriers for the shipping sector’s appeal. 

"The treatment of seafarers, generally, is not encouraging people to go to sea – and those issues affect women and men equally," she said.

Indeed, shipping is widely predicted to be on the verge of a ’crewing crisis’, with a 2021 BIMCO report predicting there will be a need for an additional 89,510 officers by 2026 to operate the world’s merchant fleet of ships. And, as marine ecologist and science communicator Alannah Vellacott said in a panel discussion on youth and conservation in the maritime sector, that took in aspects of shipping’s continuing diversity problem, "Half of the conversation is not attended by half of the population". Applied to the shipping sector, the sentiment shows that shipping will need to do more to reach, attract and retain the 49% of the world’s workforce that are women. And, while positive discrimination practices were cited by a few of the presenters, the practice was presented as an exception in shipping.

Steps for reversing the trend presented in WISTA’s survey

Virgin Voyages chief operating officer for the US, Michelle Bentubo, highighted the importance of training for leaders in the sector to build awareness of pre-existing bias and behaviours that may be both unconscious and unintentionally offensive.  

Ms Bentubo said the first step for shipowners and managers is to create the right environment on board their vessels.

“From an industry perspective, we have a responsibility, and first and foremost it is creating an environment on board where every voice is heard and they feel just as important as the next person," she said. 

“When we go out and talk about what life is like on board to those crew who are joining us, we have an accountability to ensure that everybody feels they have a role, they are welcomed and they are valued. We have to make a promise, hold on to that promise, and deliver on it.”

One piece of advice for aspiring women mariners

Warsash Maritime School senior lecturer (deck cadet education) Nicole Fisher said she tries to help the cadets she trains to build resilience, to embrace opportunity and to rely on others. 

"Back yourself, even when the environment doesn’t. The industry isn’t perfect, we’re a long way from it, but hopefully we are improving. Don’t feel like you have to take on the bad days alone. You have others to fall back on. Every confident, capable woman on board is forging a path for future females to thrive," she said.

For more profiles of inspiring women working in maritime, from cadets to veterans, and their advice on work and life in the shipping sector, take a look at our Women in Maritime Today and Women in Maritime Tomorrow series:

• Women in Maritime Today: Anemoi Marine’s Clare Urmston is on a mission to clean up shipping
• Women in Maritime Today: IRI’s Laura Sherman on managing corporate and career growth
• Women in Maritime Today: DNV’s Catrine Vestereng encourages curiosity and determination
• Women in Maritime Today: Jeanne Grasso’s ‘serendipitous’ journey to maritime attorney
• Women in Maritime Today: AIT Worldwide Logistics’ Chelsea Lamar describes her passion for sustainability
• Women in Maritime Today: Marita Krems is a woman in MAN’s world
• Women in Maritime Today: Chevron Marine Lubricants’ Ayten Yavuz smooths the path to decarbonisation
• Women in Maritime Today: ABS director Wei Huang encourages initiative taking
• Women in Maritime Today: bound4blue’s Cristina Aleixendri harnesses the wind
• Women in Maritime Today: North Star’s Gitte Gard Talmo
• Women in Maritime Today: WISTA Hellas president Vivi Kolliopoulou discusses equality in shipping
• Women in Maritime Tomorrow: Damen’s Rebecca Belmer ’working in maritime offers an ocean of possibilities’
• Women in Maritime Today: BW LNG’s Monika Johannessen counsels ’never stop learning’
• Women in Maritime Today: Elin Saltkjel says no day working in maritime is dull
• Women in Maritime Today: Hanwha Ocean Europe’s Claire Wright encourages adaptability and curiosity
• Women in Maritime Today: Anisa Koci advises ’be persistent in your passion’
• Women in Maritime Tomorrow: Eirini Diamantara on shipping’s diverse opportunities
• Women in Maritime Today: Krystyna Tsochlas’ maritime journey
• Women in Maritime Tomorrow: V Group’s Lalithaa Rai Mahendran is ready to break down barriers
• Women in Maritime Today: Svitzer’s Lise Demant